The makings of Henry Foss
by rainbowlouise
Summary: A series of Henry-centric oneshots. Serious, humerous, romantic, light and dark. Explores all parts of Henry's personality and life at the Sanctuary, because he's just so fun to mess with. Chapter 6: Revelations
1. Mother and Son

**A/N**

**Don't you just love what the brain concocts at 2am in the morning? **

**I do not claim to own Sanctuary. Although I am awesome, I'm simply not that awesome just yet. **

**Reviews are muchly appreciated. **

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"Henry, please open the door."

_Don't answer. Don't speak. Don't think. Just breathe. In and out._

"Henry, please. I don't wish to intrude on your privacy but I will do so if you refuse to answer me young man." Magnus pounded on the door, louder this time. Henry winced.

_She'll go away eventually. Don't answer her. In and out, just breathe. _

"I'm coming in." There was the sound of a key turning in the lock, and Henry's bedroom door swung open.

Magnus frowned. Henry's room was an array of crumpled clothes, discarded machine parts and - Helen gasped - claw marks on the wall. She took a deep breath and turned her attention back to her young foster son. Helen's expression softened. "Henry?"

He was completely still, his body curled into a tight ball. His shoulders were tense and he looked ready to spring at any second. His breathing was steady - but too controlled. Cautiously, Magnus took a step towards him. "Hey, Henry. It's just me."

"Go away." Henry's voice was lower than usual, a little rougher. Magnus frowned.

"Come now Henry." She took another step. And another. Henry didn't respond, but his breathing got quicker. Louder. Like he was fighting to keep it under control.

"I said _go away_!" his voice was closer to a growl, and Helen heard the sound of him gnashing his teeth together. His shoulders hunched and a breathless sob escaped him. Magnus felt her heart tighten in her chest.

"Henry," she murmured to the twelve year old, "Everything is going to be alright."

"_How can you say that?_" He roared, so suddenly Magnus flinched, "How is _anything _ever going to be alright?"

Magnus was so close she could reach out and touch him. She wanted to. She longed to pull him into her arms and soothe him until he felt safe. She longed to save him from the thing that made him so terrified of himself.

She _needed _him to stop hurting. Seeing him this way, in such total agony, it was almost too much. Magnus kept her hand at bay by sheer force of will. Invading his personal space would do nothing but upset him in his current condition.

"Because I will make everything alright, Henry." she said softly, "I promise."

"You can't, Doctor Magnus! You can't stop me from being what I am. You can't stop it from… from _taking over_." he snarled, his hands twisting his hair into knots. He was shaking, choking air in and out in short, breathless sobs. "I'm a monster. I nearly hurt Ashley…"

"Ashley is completely safe. In fact, she's rather upset that you haven't left your room to play with her." Magnus had to smile in spite of the situation, "No one blames you, Henry."

"Just go away." he whimpered, "You shouldn't let me anywhere _near _Ash. I don't want to be near her! Or you! Maybe the Big Guy, because he's the only one who I couldn't _kill _if I got _upset_!"

"Henry Foss you listen to me," Helen said sharply, "You are not a danger to any of us. You must stop thinking like that at once."

"Stop treating me like I'm _human_!" Henry growled, suddenly springing up and clenching his hands into fists, "I'm not! I'm -" He groaned, his eyes flashing black and his canines sharpening. He sank to his knees, ripping at his hair.

Deciding the soft approach wasn't working, Helen gripped his shoulders in her hands and stared him down. His eyes returned to their normal colour, but his teeth stayed the way they were. "Henry," she said firmly, "Stop."

Tears filled his eyes, and his shoulders began to shake again. "I'm so sorry." he whispered, "Please don't throw me out. I promise I won't let it happen again."

"I would never do that." Helen promised, "Oh, Henry, I'm the one who should be apologising. I should've warned you earlier." She pulled Henry into her lap and stroked his hair. He was sobbing loudly now, curling back into that tight, vulnerable ball again.

"It _hurts_." he whimpered, "Why does it hurt so much?"

A number of reasons passed fleetingly through Helen's mind, all of them scientific and none of them comforting, so she settled for a much simpler response. "You're rejecting the change, so it causes your body pain."

"I don't want to have to change."

Helen stroked his cheek. "I will look for a way to stop it, if that's what you want. But you should remember, Henry, that this is a part of who you are. No one resents you for it."

"Monster." Henry whispered, more tears leaking from the corners of his eyes. He squeezed them shut, rocking back and forth in Magnus' arms. "Bad. Evil. Animal. Monster."

"You are none of those things, Henry. I promise you."

"You're lying."

"I've never lied to you before Henry, I don't intend to start now."

"How can you say I'm not," his hand tightened around his shirt, right above his chest, "when this _thing _is inside me?"

Helen smiled. "Because you're my Henry. My wonderful, intelligent, _human _Henry. Just because you're a little different to regular humans, just because you have something inside of you that you can't control yet, that doesn't make you any less human than it did before. Honestly, I'm over a century old. But you still think of me as human, don't you?"

He nodded slowly. "Will I ever be able to stop it from taking over me?" Henry asked, his voice small yet a little steadier. Magnus nodded.

"I have faith in your strength. You will control it, I know you will." She told him. Henry sniffled.

"I can feel it… so close to the surface…" he winced, "Make me safe again, please."

"I will do whatever I can to make you feel safe, Henry. But you must understand that you are not a danger. I promise you that."

Henry didn't respond, so she began humming the lullaby she used to sing to him as a child after she'd rescued him from the moors. It had always worked wonders when she needed to calm him down. Later, it had become Ashley's lullaby, but it had never had the same affect on her as it did Henry. His eyes were closed almost immediately, and Helen could feel his little heartbeat slowing to a steady pace. His canines receded back into human teeth, and she smiled even though her heart was aching.

Helen had calmed him down for today, protected him as was her duty, but how long until it happened again? Already she was putting together a solution in her mind, but there were so many risks to consider. Magnus had no idea what the affect it would have on his system, or whether his body would reject the drug she had in mind. Perhaps she could work out some form of surgical method of removing the beast, but she wondered if that was the best thing for Henry.

She had always tried to teach him to be accepting of who he was in preparation for this day, but Magnus hadn't anticipated such a strong, guilt-ridden response from him. She'd expected anger, obviously, and perhaps questions about his origins. But then again, she mused, Henry never reacted exactly like she expected. Magnus kept humming.

His reaction may also have been stemmed from the circumstances. He and Ashley had been fighting about something childish - as children do - and he'd simply… snapped. It had been so quick. His body had transformed in a matter of seconds, and his teeth had almost closed around Ashley's neck before he'd regained control of himself.

He'd always been aware of his abnormality, but this was his first time making the change. He was hitting puberty - of course she should've been prepared for this happening. But she wasn't. His pain was entirely her fault.

Magnus closed her own eyes and wrapped Henry tighter in her arms. He yawned and was soon snoring lightly, his body obviously exhausted from the day's events. This wouldn't be the last time Henry would have to deal with the issues of being a Lycan. This wouldn't be the last time he would hurt over what he was, what he might possibly do… Helen leant down and brushed a kiss against his forehead, content to simply sit and hold him. She would be here each time, ready to wrap him in her arms and stay with him until the pain went away.

After all, it was a mother's job to keep her children from falling apart.


	2. Child's play

**A/N **

**Decided to turn this into a series of Henry-centric oneshots, because he's my favourite character. He's incredibly fun to work with. This is set during "Edward", right after Ashley talks to Henry about his surgery. **

**Hope you enjoy.**

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"You're not dealing with an amateur here Ashley. We've both seen the horrors of the Abnormal world." Henry sighed, shaking his head, "Up close."

Ashley touched his shoulder. "But we've also seen their wonder. Their beauty."

"Beauty?" Henry scoffed, "Ash, you weren't here. You and Doctor Magnus, you keep telling me that I shouldn't run away from this _thing_, but... You. Weren't. Here." He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, feeling the beast clawing its way dangerously close to the surface. "Just go, Ashley."

"Dude, I'm not going anywhere. Shouldn't you know me a little better by now?" She hoisted herself up onto his desk, swinging her legs over the side. "Talk to me."

"What's there to say? I'm getting the surgery. I'm getting rid of this _thing_ so that I can't hurt you or anyone else."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it." Ashley rolled her eyes. "Honestly Henry, you're really not all that scary. Like, at all." She flashed him a grin.

"Like I said. You haven't seen it. You don't feel it, Ash. It's... _terrifying_." He whispered, a lump rising in his throat. "I feel like at any moment I could snap, I could fall off the wagon, you know? What happens if you're standing too close?"

"It's happened before." Ashley shrugged, "Remember when we were kids? I'd bitch at you and you'd get a little... angry. Have I ever thought any different of you for that?"

"Ashley, this is _different_. I can't expect you to understand. Look, don't push me. My mind's made up."

"Henry, what are you so afraid of?" Ashley demanded.

"Losing myself!" Henry cried, looking at her for the first time, "Ashley, every time I change into the beast, I can't control myself. I don't... I don't want to lose you or me or anyone else."

In way of reply, Ashley grabbed his wrist. "Remember this?" she asked, pointing to the silver band around his wrist. "You melted down the bracelet I gave you and made it into something less breakable. Do you remember why I gave it to you in the first place?"

Henry nodded. Of course he remembered.

* * *

"_Henry, where do you come from?"_

"_What do you mean, Ash?"_

"_Well, I came from Mommy, so I came from here, but you aren't from here so where do you come from?" _

_Henry frowned. "The Moors." He said, because that was where Doctor Magnus had told him he had come from. He didn't know where that was or why he came from there, but Doctor Magnus never lied to him._

"_What's a Moors?" Ashley asked, turning the word over in her mouth. _

"_It's... It must be a place, because I had to come from somewhere." Henry said gruffly, crossing his arms. "Why does it matter? I'm here now aren't I?"_

"_I was just curious." Ashley said in a small voice, "Sorry, Henry." _

_He sighed. "Don't be sorry. I just... You're real lucky, Ash." _

_Ashley's eyes widened in surprise. "Why?" _

"_You've got a mom. You know where you come from. I've got a Doctor Magnus and the name of a place I can't remember." He stared at her with sad, dark eyes and shook his head, "I don't have anything." _

_Ashley punched him._

"_Ow! Ash, what the hell?" _

_She glared at him. "You think you've got nothing? You're... you're... _stupid! _You have me and Mommy and the Big Guy and you've got the Sanctuary! I don't care where you come from – this is your home and we all love you. Why do you think that you don't have anything?"_

"_Ashley, I –" _

"_If you ever say anything like that, I will do more than punch you!" The four year old growled fiercely, advancing on him again, "I swear I will!" _

_Henry smiled a little. "Okay, Ash, I'm sorry. I won't say it again, I promise." He rubbed his shoulder, "You really punch hard, you know that?"_

_Ashley straightened up, apparently satisfied with Henry's response. She grinned. "I'm super strong." She said proudly. Henry smirked._

"_You think you're super strong?" he roared playfully, sweeping her into his arms and spinning her around, "I'm way stronger than you!" _

"_Henry!" Ashley giggled with delight, "You're stronger than me, I admit it! Let me down!" _

_Henry growled. "You're my prisoner, I'm never going to let you go!" _

_Ashley squealed in mock-terror. "You're kidnapping me!"_

"_Yes, I'm the beast stealing away the beautiful princess to be my bride!" he declared, as lost in the game as she was. He stopped twirling and bared his teeth at her. _

"_Oh! I know! You just need the kiss of the beautiful princess to turn you back into a handsome prince!" _

_Henry's eyes widened. "Oh, no, I –" _

_Ashley swooped down and quickly pecked him on the lips. She smiled triumphantly. "You can put me down now, handsome prince. You're not a beast anymore." _

_Henry let her down gently, his face heating up. Ashley frowned, looking at him expectantly. "You're _supposed _to thank me for saving you!" She told him. Henry gulped. _

"_Thank you, b- beautiful princess." He stammered. _

"_You're welcome. Now, take me to my palace. Onwards, noble steed!" _

_Henry chuckled softly as he dropped to all fours. "I thought I was the prince." _

"_Now you're my noble steed. Come on, mush!" _

_Henry started roaming around the room. "You might want to tell me where exactly your palace is, princess." _

"_I'll tell you when I decide on a place fit for a princess as beautiful as me." _

"_Is that so?" _

"_Yeah! Hey, Henry, take me to my room." _

"_Is that your palace?"_

"_No, I just need to get something for you." _

_Henry scampered towards Ashley's bedroom, rising up a little so she could turn the doorknob. The door swung open and she ordered him inside. She hopped off his shoulders and walked over to her desk. _

"_What are you looking for?" Henry asked, going to stand beside her._

"_This!" Ashley said, triumphantly holding a small silver chain up in the air. "I knew it was in here somewhere. Henry, hold out your wrist."_

"_Jewellery is for girls, Ashley." _

"_The princess commands you to, so you will do what she says!"_

"_Yeah, yeah." Henry rolled his eyes, but held out his wrist. Very ceremoniously, Ashley clasped the simple chain around his wrist. "So, what's it for?" Henry asked._

"_It's so that you never forget where you come from, and who you are." Ashley smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You're my Henry." _

_He swallowed the lump in his throat. "I won't forget." _

"_Love you, Henry." _

"_Love you too."_

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Henry sucked in a deep, ragged breath. Ashley placed both hands on his shoulders, staring him down with those big blue eyes.

"If you have this surgery, you might not be my Henry anymore." She said softly. "Think about it."

"If I don't have it, I won't be your Henry anymore either way." He whispered. Ashley pulled him closer, hugging him tightly.

"I don't believe that."

"I do, and that's enough. You can't change my mind, Ash. I'm too dangerous." Henry muttered, shaking his head.

"Love you." She said simply, resting her forehead against his.

Henry concentrated on his breathing, and the sound of Ashley's heartbeat. He was so terrified. He didn't want to lose himself in the surgery, but he couldn't stand the thought of losing himself to the beast, either. What was he supposed to do? Why were they all pushing him to stay the way he was, why were they pretending he wasn't dangerous at all?

"Henry?" Ashley asked softly.

"Yeah, Ash." He sighed tiredly. "Love you too."


	3. Piercings

**A/N**

**The piercings intrigue me.**

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Ashley's face lit up as she spotted a car pull up in front of the Sanctuary gates, a familiar face all but falling out of the passenger door and stumbling inside. He called something to the driver and waved him off, heading for the front door. Ashley leapt away from the window and dashed downstairs, hearing Henry fumbling for his key on the other side. She opened the door.

"Henry!" she cried, "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

Henry's grin was sheepish. "Nah, Ash, no idea. Why?"

"2am." She told him matter-of-factly. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Henry seemed to think about this for a second. Then he began to giggle. "That I am feeling _awesome_, Ash-leeey. Hey, what do we have to eat?" He pushed past her into the house, his arms flailing wildly as he stumbled.

Ashley's face broke into a grin. Oh God. This was _too perfect_.

"You're drunk." She said. Henry shook his head vehemently.

"Nah, just..." his voice took on a faint English accent, "_a little bit tipsy_." He erupted into another fit of giggles. "Have you ever noticed how _funny _stuff is?"

"Stuff?"Ashley enquired as she let him to the kitchen. She had no idea what she was supposed to do, but she figured water would be a good place to start.

"Yeah! Like... _everything_. Hey, hey Ashley. Your shoe is untied."

"Henry, I'm not wearing any shoes."

"I know!" Then he was laughing again and Ashley knew it would be impossible to get any sort of half-way decent response out of him. She sat him down at the kitchen table and poured him a glass of water. Henry eyed is suspiciously.

"What's this?"

"Water, stupid. You drink it."

"Oh. That's right. Do I have to?"

"Yes, Henry."

"_Why_?"

"Because I said so."

"Ugh, you're just like your mom."

Ashley felt a quick swell of pride, but her expression remained stern. "Drink it. Now."

Henry rolled his eyes but brought the glass to his lips. He gulped down a mouthful and grinned at her. "I'm drinking it Ash, see?" he said, his mouth still full of water. Two streaks of the clear liquid dribbled down his chin and dropped onto the counter. Ashley giggled.

"Yes Henry, I see. Keep drinking."

"I don't want to." He murmured, propping his chin up on his palm. His eyelids drooped and Ashley shook him awake.

"Drink." She ordered. Henry whined unhappily, but chugged down the rest of the water without complaint.

"I'm tired." He announced, getting shakily to his feet and feeling his way out of the kitchen. Ashley grabbed his wrist and gently pulled him along after her.

"Let's get you to bed then." She said softly, "How much did you drink, anyway?"

Henry frowned. "Uh... like... _lots_." He giggled again, closing his eyes and relying on Ashley to pull him along. "Rachel and Gerald had less than me, but they're not like me are they Ashy?"

Ashley was quiet for a moment. "No, Henry, I guess they're not."

"Gerald loves Rachel you know." Henry sighed, "But she doesn't know what to do about it. She said to me tonight, 'Oh Henry, you know I don't love him the same way'. That makes me sad, Ash. I wanna' help Gerald make Rachel love him."

"Sometimes you can't help who you do and don't love, Henry."

"Yeah... You're never allowed to love any boy but me okay? Boys are icky and stupid, remember that." Ashley grinned.

"Sure thing, Henry."

"Are we at my room yet?"

"Are you in bed yet?"

"No; duh. I thought you were supposed to be smart."

"Well then we're not at your room yet."

"Aw..."

When they finally arrived, Ashley opened the door and guided Henry to his bed. He collapsed onto it, patting the space beside him. She climbed on after him and snuggled up close to his side.

"I'm so drunk." Henry laughed loudly, his chest rising and falling rhythmically and his eyelids falling shut.

"Really? I had no idea."

"I thought it was pretty obvious, Ash."

"Sarcasm, dude."

"Oh! Haha – I get it now." Henry was laughing loudly than before, so Ashley chucked a pillow at his head to shut him up.

"Do you want to wake my mom up?"

Henry gasped. "No! No, no, shh. Ash, shh!" he whispered, looking adorably terrified.

"Okay, we'll be quiet. Don't worry, Henry. I'll take care of you." She said confidently. Henry hugged her tightly.

"You're the best." He yawned. "I had fun tonight, but it was kind of scary too."

"How?"

"I didn't like it at first, because all my senses were fu – I mean, screwing up. Everything was all fuzzy and I was panicking, but Rach was all nice and helped me calm down."

"So why'd you keep drinking then?"

"'Cos this is _my _body. I'm allowed to trash it if I want."

"Of course it's your body. Who else's body would it be?"

"It's." Henry mumbled sleepily, "I don't feel so good. Stay with me?"

Ashley smiled and patted his head. "Of course." Henry was out like a light within the next five minutes. Ashley snickered quietly. Tomorrow was going to be... interesting.

* * *

"Oh my _God_."

"I _know_."

Ashley looked a little horrified for a second. "Mom is going to _murder _you."

Henry gulped, quickly pulling his shirt back down over his torso. "Really?" He squeaked. "They're just a couple of piercings. I mean, it's really no big deal. I can pull them out if I want to and –"

"Dude." Ashley said with a laugh, "She won't give a damn about the piercings. She's going to freak out over the fact you have _no idea_ where they came from."

"My killer headache's got to be some evidence as to where they came from." Henry moaned and gripped his head with both hands, "What time did I get home last night?"

"You stumbled in at around 2, looking seriously shattered." Ashley grinned, "I got a kick out of seeing you stumble around, trying to find your room before _Mom_ found _you_."

"Very funny." Henry muttered, "I bet these things were Gerald's idea. That bastard."

"Your fault for getting drunk. Illegally, I might add." She pointed out with a smirk, "Honestly Henry, you should know better." Now that he was completely sober, Ashley had no problem with ragging him about it.

"First of all, you're just a kid. You shouldn't even know what drunk is." Henry glowered at her, "And secondly, shut up." He lifted his shirt to double check that he _really _did have two shiny silver piercings – one on his nipple, the other in his navel – and that it wasn't all some horrible nightmare. No, they were still there.

Oh God, he was going to be in so much shit when Doctor Magnus found out.

"I'm _twelve_," Ashley rolled her eyes, "Of _course _I know what drunk is."

"Well then I offer you this advice – don't ever bother trying it. The aftermath isn't much fun, kiddo."

"And I might end up with mysterious piercings in mysterious places upon my return to sobriety?" She snickered.

"That was a pretty fancy sentence for a twelve year old, Ash." Henry sighed, collapsing back on his bed and squeezing his eyes shut against the bright light of the early morning. Ashley stroked his hair.

"I'll go find you some painkillers and maybe slip Mom a lie or two. Tell her you're not feeling well or something."

"Thanks." Henry rolled onto his side, curling into a ball, "Oh God, this is _so _not awesome."

"At least you're learning from your mistakes." Ashley quipped brightly. Henry's hand searched for something to throw at her on his bedside table, finding a videogame case and hurling it in Ashley's general direction.

"Hurry up and make me better." Henry moaned. Ashley just snickered again and ducked out the door.

Seconds later, Henry heard a knock at his door. He rolled over onto his side, eyes half-lidded and a curse on his lips. "Ashley, if you're back to call out my stupidity some more –" His eyes widened and he hastily cut himself off. "D- Doctor Magnus!"

Helen Magnus looked the stereotypical disappointed mother. Her arms were folded tightly over her chest, and her eyebrows were raised slightly, her dark eyes demanding an explanation. "Hello, Henry." She said flatly, "Anything you'd like to say to me?"

"Uh... Um... I... I don't suppose there's any point in lying to you, is there?"

"None at all."

"Right. Well then, I guess you could say that last night Rachel, Gerald and I went out to have a little fun, and..." He gulped. "But I guess you know all that, don't you?"

"The security footage from last night was alarmingly insightful." She replied.

"I'm really sorry, Doctor Magnus. It was a stupid idea and I feel like absolute _shit_ so no worries there." He mumbled, shrinking under the infamous intense gaze of Doctor Magnus.

Doctor Magnus sighed. "Let me see the piercings, Henry."

"You know about those?" Henry squeaked, "Oh, you don't need to see them, really. They're nothing, I promise."

"I just want to see them so I can decide if there's a risk of infection." Doctor Magnus explained, "Just show me."

Reluctantly, Henry lifted his shirt and winced when Doctor Magnus poked at the raw flesh with her finger. "Ow, Doc." He hissed.

"If you intend to keep those, you'll need to let me clean them properly to make sure they don't get infected. I'm assuming you have no idea how you came by them at all?" Doctor Magnus said absently, straightening up and staring at him. Henry's eyebrows furrowed.

* * *

"_So all that shit about Werewolves and silver is crap, right Henry?" _

_Henry winced at Gerald's casual use of the _W word _but managed to laugh it off. He grinned. "Yeah. It's the same with all the vampire stories about garlic and wooden stakes." _

"_Feel like testing that theory?"_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Get a piercing. Silver ring in the nipple or something – close to the heart." Gerald grinned and downed another gulp of vodka. Henry frowned. Rachel put her hand over his._

"_You don't have to Henry; we all know those stories aren't true." _

_Henry shrugged. This _was _his body after all. Why shouldn't he get a piercing? He grinned at Gerald. "Ten bucks says I get a nipple ring. Deal?"_

_Gerald shook his hand once, laughing loudly. "Deal."_

_

* * *

_

Henry shook his head. "Some stupid bet with Gerald." He felt in his pocket and drew out a ten dollar note. "I guess I won."

"I hope the ten dollars was worth it." Magnus said. "Come on, I have something that will stop infection."

Henry hesitated. "Doc... you're not... you're not mad at me are you?"

Magnus smiled and shook her head. "Not mad, Henry. Worried for your safety? Yes. I'm just sorry that I wasn't the one to get you safely to bed last night."

Henry shook his head. "Ashley had it covered... I'm kind of glad it was her and not you. That would've been uncomfortable in the morning."

Helen nodded. "You know Henry, what you do is your own responsibility and I trust you will face the consequences of your actions, but do remember that you've got nothing to prove."

Henry yawned and smiled. "Yeah, I know Doc. Thanks. Can we skip the infection meds for now? I really just wanna go back to sleep." The look on Magnus' face gave him his answer, and he sighed. "Yeah, yeah, okay. Sorry. Sleep later, I get it."

"Hey Henry, I got the aspirin and some coffee, and – Oh! Hey Mom..." Ashley stammered, her eyes flicking back and forth between Magnus and Henry. Henry shrugged.

"She knows."

"Well crap. Good luck Henry." Ashley flashed him a grin, set down the coffee and the painkillers and took off.

"Coward." Henry muttered.

"I'm not all that intimidating, am I?" Magnus asked in surprise. Henry bit his lip to keep from laughing.

"Nah, Doc. Not intimidating at all."

"Cheeky monkey."


	4. Fragmented Mind

**A/N**

**Set during one of my favourite episodes, 'Fragments'. A little bit of insight as to what was going on in Henry's head towards the end. **

**As always I don't own Sanctuary, and as always, I hope you enjoy.**

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"_You _did this? _You_ made this happen?" Henry crossed the room without really thinking about what he was doing. He pushed as much venom into his tone as possible. "This is _Rachel_!"

Gerald smirked and shook his head. "You're such an idiot Henry." He turned his back, his tone a little softer. "I wasn't trying to kill Rachel." Henry knew it was coming, but the admittance was like a sucker punch to the gut. "I was trying to kill you."

There was the sound of metal on metal and Henry's eyes flashed to the knife that Gerald gripped tightly in his left hand. "Oh man, _don't_."

Gerald stared at him with a gleam of sick excitement in his eyes. "Come on Henry, let's see your real face huh?" Henry tried to back away, holding his hands up in surrender. Gerald lunged forward, knife outstretched.

_Stab_.

_Pain-red-hot-kill-pain-betrayal-Rachel-Gerald-KILL! _

Henry gasped, clutching at his wound. The world was beginning to come into sharper focus, and he felt his eyes flash sickly yellow. He shuddered, trying to fold into himself, wincing as the beast clawed at his control.

"It's alright buddy..." Gerald's voice was soothing, "Let it come!"

_Slice_.

_Burning-blood-red-pain-knife-fight-let go. _

Henry stumbled to the left, knocking over a tray and faintly registering the sound of shattering glass as it hit the floor. His body was shifting; ready to make the change. His mind was resisting; desperate to hold onto his humanity. They were are war with each other, and Henry had no idea which side would win. It was so hard to focus, so hard to keep the wolf at bay when he was in so much _pain_, when he was _hurting _so much.

His canines sharpened and his sense of smell suddenly got sharper. He roared, but he couldn't tell whether it was the wolf's excitement or his panic that stemmed the sound.

"Come on Henry – _turn_! One of us is checking out and if you stay human it'll be you!"

The wolf's sense of self-preservation jumped at Gerald's words. It wanted to fight, tear, rip, _kill_. It was the stronger one, it was _more _than this pathetic human daring to challenge him. Gerald wanted a fight – the wolf was more than happy to oblige.

But Henry refused to kill his friend. That was obviously what Gerald wanted, what the wolf wanted, and it was getting harder and harder to hold on to that tiny strand of human thought that told him this was _wrong_.

"Don't do this." Henry begged, his voice more guttural than it had ever been. He shook his head, trying to stop Gerald, trying to clear his thoughts; he didn't quite know.

"_COME ON_!" Gerald screamed, coming at him with the knife again.

"Gerald!" Suddenly Doctor Magnus was there with her gun and the wolf panicked. There was now a bigger threat than Gerald in the room, and it wasn't sure who he should be attacking. The bloodlust was getting harder and harder to fight back. The wolf wanted blood – and a part of Henry's human self did too.

"That is _enough_! Drop it!" Doctor Magnus ordered, the gun aimed squarely at Gerald's chest. Henry smelt the Big Guy come in after her and was flooded with the feeling of safety that they both gave him. Things would be okay, Doctor Magnus would fix it.

"Look at her..." Gerald murmured, "I don't wanna' live when she's gone." He turned his attention back to Henry, staring him down with those dark, accusing eyes. The wolf tore at the surface again, and Henry choked out another sob. "But you'd take care of that wouldn't you buddy boy?" He hissed. "I mess you up just a little bit you'd take care of it – you'd take care of _me_ wouldn't you?"

"_Stop_." Henry begged, the only coherent word he could form. His vocal chords were half turned and his brain was relying on instinct rather than rational thought. His teeth tore at his lips and he wrapped his arms around his stomach, trying to hold in the monster that was ready to leap out of him.

"_Then you'd have to live with it_!" Gerald roared.

"Gerald," Doctor Magnus said, her voice quick and urgent, "Think logically. You do _not_ want to take this action."

Gerald slashed out at him again. "Come on, _freak_!"

With that one word, that one simple insult, Henry snapped. His body convulsed and he began to change, so quickly it was impossible to stop it. He was going to tear Gerald to shreds, going to rip his head clean off his shoulders and make him _pay _for what he had done.

_Death-kill-rip-tear-destroy-kill-KILL! _

But then he heard a different sound. A racing heart, the frantic pulse of the machine monitoring it. The change stopped, both Henry and the wolf hesitating. That sound – Rachel was in danger! He couldn't put her in any more by transforming, he had to stay human. Had to stay human...

_Stay... human..._

"She's crashing again!" Doctor Magnus cried, going to her. The Big Guy took advantage of Gerald's distraction and ripped him away from Henry, locking him in his bear-like grip. Henry moaned, his body in so much pain he didn't know where to begin. He was assaulted by senses and feelings and thoughts, but he kept his eyes on Rachel. She was one of his closest friends, and he was dangerously close to losing her. The wolf understood the simple, blinding pain of that.

She convulsed on the hospital bed, but Doctor Magnus was ready with a needle. She injected something into her arm.

"_Doc_," Henry groaned, his voice thankfully missing the guttural undertone, "is she-"

He heard her heart slow, saving itself. Saving her.

"She's stabilising." Doctor Magnus said, handing him a life-line.

Henry and Kate rushed in. Henry didn't look at them.

"You okay?" Will asked urgently.

Henry's chest rose and fell rapidly, his breathing urgent; like somehow he could keep himself human just by breathing. He focused on it, like he always had when he'd needed something to hold on to.

"No." He managed, his voice thick with tears. The room swam and dimmed before his eyes. Inside him, the wolf whined uneasily, right before everything went black.


	5. Aftermath

**A/N**

**Following a suggestion from melissaadams22, I've decided to write a sequel to the last chapter. Thank you, Melissa :) **

**That reminds me. If you guys have any suggestions for chapters, please don't hesitate to drop me a line. I don't bite. Much. :D **

**As always, I don't own anything. (Saying that is going to get old – fast.) And yet again, I sincerely hope you enjoy the update.**

**-Louise**

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* * *

**

When Henry woke up, the first thing he noticed was how insanely _bright _everything was. Blinking rapidly, he tried to make sense of where he was. He smelt fresh blood and antiseptic and stainless steel, so he guessed he was in the infirmary. But why?

Groaning, he struggled up into a sitting position and looked around. Aside from him, the place was empty and silent. Henry swung his legs over the side of the bed, but was stopped by a sudden, burning flare of pain in his side.

"Shit." He hissed, his hands immediately flying to the wound. _What the...?_

Everything came roaring back in a whirlwind of colours. White-hot flashes of pain rocketed through his mind, betrayal and fear stinging like he was being whipped over and over again.

"_Come on, freak!" _

Rachel's heart, failing.

Henry's control, slipping.

And Gerald, waiting to die. The confession; he'd tried to kill Henry. Wanting Henry to kill _him_. Disgust, hatred, anger; all dancing through his half-crazed eyes.

"God." Henry groaned, burying his face in his hands, "Oh my _God_."

He couldn't remember anything else. Doctor Magnus, promising him Rachel was stabilising. Will, asking if he was okay. After that... _nothing_. His eyes flickered briefly to the bandage wrapped tightly around his forearm, and Henry squeezed his eyes shut. Who was the real monster out of him and Gerald? Was it himself, the literal kind, the one that couldn't control himself?

Or Gerald; the one who was willing to do _anything _to rid himself of the guilt? To pass it on to someone else?

Henry wrapped his arms around his stomach to keep from throwing up.

There was the sound of a door opening. Henry smelt cologne, leather and freshly-printed paper – the scent that Will always carried with him. He didn't even need to look up.

"Hey." Will greeted him gently, "You're awake."

"Yeah." Henry murmured, "How's Rachel?"

"She's good. Stable. She's awake. Asking for you, actually." Will said with a smile, "She's going to be okay, Henry."

"Thank God." Henry breathed, relief washing over him like a tidal wave.

"How are you feeling?" Will asked, his voice a mix between professional shrink and concerned friend. Henry didn't know which approach Will was going for – and he'd bet that Will didn't either.

"Honestly?" Henry shrugged, "Shit. Really bad. I got knifed, Will, how do you think I feel?" Okay, maybe that last part was a bit uncalled for.

"Fair call." Will agreed, "But I'm talking mentally as well as physically. From what Magnus told me, some pretty heavy stuff went down in there."

_Thanks for the reminder, Will_. "I don't have many real friends, man. You, the Big Guy and the Doc are pretty much the only close ones I've got left." Henry ran a hand through his hair and avoided Will's piercing gaze, "Gerald and I have been buddies since forever. He was always good about... the bad Henry; they both were."

"So you're feeling a little betrayed." Will summarised. Henry finally met his eyes.

"A little? Will, he _forced _me into changing, just so I could kill him and he wouldn't have to live with what he'd done anymore. That pretty much constitutes as a big fucking betrayal." He snarled, his hands curling into fists. His voice broke. "He _knows _how much I hate it, how terrible it is..."

Will stared at him for a long time. "Desperation does awful things to a person, Henry." He said finally, "But you didn't kill him. You didn't let him control you. You stayed human."

"Barely." Henry shook his head, "A part of me thinks it would've been so much easier to just let go. I want to kill him, Will. I want to kill him and that scares me. Because I _could. _So easily."

"But you didn't." Will said firmly. "You're a strong person. One of the strongest I know. What you're feeling right now is completely normal."

"Except _I'm _not. And that makes all the difference."

"Not all that much, Henry. I would know."

"Yeah. You're the shrink, I guess."

The two sat in silence for a long while, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Will understood Henry's need for quiet, the need for time to think things over. Henry was just grateful he wasn't trying to probe answers out of him like all those Hollywood shrinks you saw on TV. Maybe he'd decided on the concerned friend approach after all.

Finally, Henry broke. "I think the thing that gets me the most is that it should've been _me_."

"What do you mean?" Will asked.

"Rachel was bugging me about feeding Jack, but I was so caught up in whatever the hell I was doing that I couldn't duck out for _two minutes _to feed him. If I'd been there first, if I'd been the one to open the door... well I'd be the one dying, and she'd be with Gerald. None of this would've happened." Henry muttered, "It's my fault."

"It really isn't, Henry." Will said firmly, "You're just feeling Survivor's Guilt. Do you really think Rachel would've preferred it that way? To have you in her place?"

"Maybe. I don't know, Will. I just know what I would've preferred."

"There's nothing you can do to change what happened."

"That doesn't make it hurt any less."

Will sighed. "You're right. But none of this is your fault. None of it, understand? Gerald _chose _to do what he did."

"I don't even really blame him," Henry sighed, "I should've stayed out of it. I was stupid to believe I was actually helping them. I guess I just didn't want to let go of a good thing. Especially after Ash... well, I was desperate for some familiarity, I suppose. Something to remind me that not everything is so Goddamn hopeless. Rachel dragged me out of dark times, and I'll never stop owing her for that, but I think she got something different out of it. I love her, Will, but not enough to be what she wants us to be." Henry's voice had dropped to almost a whisper.

"Maybe you and I should talk more often, Henry." Will said softly, reaching out and placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Sounds like you've got a few issues you need to work through."

"I don't need a psychiatrist." Henry muttered, "I need my lab and my computer and something to fix."

Will smiled. "I didn't mean as your psychiatrist, Henry." He said, "I meant as your friend. You know I'm here if you ever need to talk to someone."

"Thanks Will," Henry nodded slowly, "But not right now, okay? Right now I need to sort all this out for myself. I have to see Rachel."

Will offered him a sympathetic smile. "Do what you need to do. I'll clear it with Doctor Magnus while you get your head around this."

Together, they stood up. "Thanks, Will." Henry said simply. "I owe you a lot."

"Hey," Will grinned, "You've fixed my computer more times than I can count, and saved my ass countless more. It's about time I start returning favours."

"Let's just call it even." Henry suggested with a small smile.

"Deal."

Henry sighed and looked back at the bed he'd been lying on. "I've gotta' go. I think I have to break Rachel's heart."

"Good luck." Will said, patting him on the back as they headed for the exit.

Maybe Will was right. He _was _strong. Strong enough to resist the monster, strong enough to keep in control.

He wasn't close to healing, not by a long shot, but he'd found somewhere to start. And he knew he had people that would help him along every step of the way. He had to hurt Rachel, but he knew she wouldn't abandon him because of it. He had Doctor Magnus and The Big Guy and Will, and the metal band on his wrist reminded him every day that Ashley was just a memory away.

He wasn't weak. And he wasn't alone.

And he was beginning to actually believe that.


	6. Revelations

**A/N**

**I was originally going to write a chapter focusing on both Henry and Nikola, but then this little plot bunny popped into my head and I couldn't ignore it. Caution: a little bit of swearing. If you don't like profanity, please feel free to skim over that part. **

**Suggestions are always welcome.**

**I don't own Sanctuary, as I'm sure you already know.**

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* * *

**

"Henry." Big Guy was knocking at his door, "Henry, food."

Henry tried to stop himself from shaking, and drew the covers up tighter around his chin. Shit, it was _freezing_. He opened his mouth to call out to Big Guy, but was overcome by a sudden, consuming coughing fit. Big Guy seemed to take this as an invitation to come inside, pushing open the door and setting a tray down on Henry's bedside table.

"Soup again?" Henry moaned, once he was able to speak again. Big Guy moved to smack him, but drew his hand back quickly. Henry grinned weakly, sucking in a deep breath. If nothing else, being sick kept his head safe from Big Guy's slapping.

"How are you feeling?" Big Guy asked gruffly, sitting down beside Henry's bed and handing him a mug of cocoa.

"Like absolute shit." Henry mumbled, grimacing as the hot liquid seared his tongue and throat. "You know, I'm starting to wonder if getting better is worth the present pain of your cures."

"Drink." Big Guy ordered, staring him down with those heavyset dark eyes. Henry rolled his eyes but did as instructed.

"Okay, done." He said, handing the mug back. "Can I go back to sleep now? Megan Fox is waiting for me in my dreams."

"No. Soup." Big Guy growled, nudging him. Henry groaned and pulled himself into a sitting position. He had to admit – he didn't feel as cold as before. Still, the moment the covers left his chest, he could feel the iciness creeping back even through his thick jumper. Damn fever.

The two sat in silence, save for the faint sound of Henry spooning soup into his mouth. He ate quickly and methodically, barely swallowing a mouthful before the next was waiting. Big Guy watched him carefully. On the surface, they were calling Henry's sudden sickness a common cold. That was mostly for Kate's sake, as well as the small amount of hope that Henry secretly kept alive within himself. The new arrival had no idea about what kind of 'hellish monster' Henry was, and he had no intention of clueing her in just yet.

He still had qualms about revealing so much, for fear of harsh, cruel rejection.

When he expressed these feelings to the Sanctuary's resident psychiatrist, Will had assured him that the worst Kate would do upon finding out was try to bag him and sell him on the black market. And although Henry had laughed, the thought of Kate knowing made him feel sick. It seemed like the hired gun was sticking around, and it was hard enough having to see Will every day, knowing that he knew. That feeling had faded over time, but sometimes the pity he swore he saw in Will's eyes – in all their eyes – was enough to drive him crazy. He didn't want to add Kate to that list just yet.

Henry felt sloshy when he finally downed the last of the soup. Wordlessly, he handed it back to Big Guy, who placed it back on the tray and stood up. "Sleep." He ordered. Henry collapsed back on his pillow and drew the blankets around him yet again. He saluted as Big Guy walked out the door.

"Will do." Henry mumbled, closing his eyes and immediately drifting off into a fitful sleep.

* * *

"So what's the deal with Hank?" Kate asked, pivoting and swinging her leg up high near Will's head. The dark-haired man ducked just in time, his hand catching her foot and swinging it back down. He sent two quick jabs flying towards her head, which she blocked easily and countered with a swift elbow into Will's gut.

"Hey, not so hard." Will grunted, "Henry's just sick, that's all."

Kate's eyebrows furrowed in concentration as the dance increased in tempo. "How sick?"

"Pretty sick. Not the first time he's been like this. It comes and goes every so often."

"Comes and goes? So it's a regular thing?"

Will frowned. Maybe he'd said something he shouldn't have. "Just a cold during the cooler seasons, I guess." He lied smoothly.

"I tried to check up on him earlier, but he just told me to go away. The guy sounded seriously choked up." Kate replied. "It's nothing serious though?"

Will shrugged, cursing under his breath as Kate's kick found its mark. "If it was serious, Magnus would have him in the infirmary, feeding him medicine until he was better. Henry gets over these things by himself."

"Still, I figure I should do something. Bring him chicken soup or whatever. Isn't that good for the soul?"

"Since when does the common cold affect the soul?" Will teased, mentally cheering as he jabbed a fist into her stomach.

"Yeah, well, it's the thought that counts." Kate replied.

"Like I said though, Henry likes to get over it by himself." Will warned. Kate rolled her eyes.

"What a macho man." She drawled, "Can't even accept a little help from his friends? The guy sounds absolutely wrung out."

"Just leave it. He'll be up and about soon and you can reprimand him yourself, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah." She said, but her thoughts were elsewhere. Since coming here, she felt like she belonged. But still, belonging didn't take away the need she had to prove herself. If Big Guy and Will could bring Henry medicine and food, what was the harm in her taking him a little something to help him feel better? Something felt off, and she didn't like it. Maybe the feeling would go away once she did something constructive to help Henry out.

* * *

"Henry? It's me." Doctor Magnus knocked once. Henry called something unintelligible, so Magnus opened the door and swept inside. His bed was empty. Glancing around, a sudden panic took over before she spotted him lying on the floor at the bottom of his bed.

"What on earth are you doing? You should be in bed!" Magnus chided gently, "You can't be very comfortable down there."

"Bed's gonna swallow me." Henry mumbled sleepily, using his hands as a makeshift pillow. Magnus cocked her head to the side curiously.

"Excuse me?" She asked, a smile spreading across her face.

"The Jabberwocky told me. He poured hot water over me and told me that Batman sent him to tell me that I was in grave danger. My bed is evil! It already got Robin! But that's okay, because Robin sucks anyway." Henry rolled onto his back and grinned in Helen's general direction. "He's all like _hey, I'm Robin, and I'm a little prick who wears tight green spandex! I look like a traffic light! _Total pansy, Doc, I'm tellin' ya. Batman's better off without him."

"Oh really?" Magnus said, struggling to keep a level tone. "So I take it you won't be sleeping on your bed again any time soon?"

"No way. I don't wanna be eated. Aten? Eaten? Eaten! That's it. I wonder what it would feel like. Probably painful. I think it already tried to eat me before, my bones were all crunchy and I felt sore everywhere. So I jumped down here because the floor is safe. It's safe isn't it Doc?" Henry looked adorably terrified, and Helen was reminded of all those times he had come to her in the middle of the night, crying terror after terror in the early days.

"Quite safe, Henry. But I think you'll find that your bed is safe, as well." She said soothingly, going to kneel on the floor beside him. She patted his hair and Henry closed his eyes, curling up beside her.

"The Jabberwocky lied to me? Batman lied?" He yawned, and then shivered. "It's less cold on my bed."

"Perhaps they were just playing a trick on you." Helen suggested. Henry looked doubtful. "How about I sit on the bed first, and if everything is fine, then you can come back up."

"It's too dangerous!" Henry protested.

"Henry," Magnus shushed him softly, "trust me."

He frowned but didn't try and stop her. She stood up and sat down on the end of his bed. She waited a few moments, and then smiled down at her adoptive son.

"See? Your bed is perfectly safe." She assured him. Henry's face lit up and he scrambled to climb back into it.

"Thanks, Magnus!" he said as he settled down underneath the covers. Helen moved to sit beside him, and he grabbed her hand and traced it. "You have a totally cool last name. Mag-nus. Ma-guh-nus. M-aaaaaaaaag-nus." He giggled giddily. "Mommy Magnus. Mommy. Mom. Magnus. Remember that time when Ashley still lived with us, Mom?" His voice got small and sad, and he looked at her with big pleading eyes. "I want my Ash, Mom. I miss her."

Helen swallowed the lump that rose in her throat. "I do too, Henry." She took his hand in both of hers and traced patterns on the inside of his palm. "Go to sleep, dear. I'm right here."

Henry seemed satisfied with this, and let his eyes fall closed. "Stupid Jabberwocky... floor sucks..." he mumbled. "Mom love. Love mom." Helen smiled and stroked his hair again. A low rumbling sounded in his chest, almost like a kitten's purr. She felt his forehead and frowned. Searing hot, yet he was trembling from cold. She sighed, knowing she needed to break the fever yet not wanting to leave his side for even a moment.

Maternal instincts warred with medical ones, and finally Magnus kissed Henry's forehead and stood up. "I'll be back soon, Henry." She promised her sleeping son, squeezing his hand once. She left the room feeling both worried and a little happy, simply because he'd called her _mom_.

* * *

Things only got worse. Two days passed and Henry never once left his room, and the Sanctuary seemed a whole lot emptier to Kate. She often saw Magnus going into Henry's room and not leaving for sometimes hours at a time, but every time she asked what was going on, Magnus would just shake her head and respond with the same answer every single time; _"Henry's very sick, but refuses to be moved to the infirmary." _

It wasn't really that out of the ordinary that she would bring him something, Kate told herself as she rode the elevator up to the floor where Henry slept. It wasn't like anyone had forbidden her to go near Henry's bedroom, anyway. It was all perfectly fine.

Still, the monster hunter felt a little apprehensive as she stood outside Henry's door, clutching the latest comic book in a series she knew Henry liked. He hadn't been able to buy it himself, so why not? It was better than showing up with a thermos of coffee, anyway.

She knocked once, but all she got in reply was a muffled moan. She knocked again.

"Henry? It's Kate. I brought you something."

He called something that vaguely sounded like _go away_, but Kate wasn't budging.

"Come on, Hank. I'm bringing you a little piece of geek heaven here, the least you could do is let me in to give it to you."

No reply. Kate frowned. She twisted the doorknob, smiling when she realised it wasn't knocked, and pushed it open.

"Okay, I know you said to go away, but seriously. I brought you this." She held up the comic book, smiling brightly.

Her smile faded when she actually took notice of her surroundings.

Usually kept in a sort of cluttered order, she wondered what could've happened to make it look so... _destroyed_. Clothes were strewn everywhere – some ripped – and the remains of what she guessed what a lamp lay beside the bed. Books and computer parts littered the floor, the mirror on top of his chest of drawers cracked, unrepairable. Henry himself was tangled in his sheets, his face covered in a thick sheen of sweat. He moaned, his body convulsing.

"Hank?" She said softly, warily, "Henry, are you okay?"

"Get _out_." The voice that came from Henry was not his own – it was guttural and ugly. Kate didn't move. Henry squeezed his eyes shut and clawed at his face. "I said fucking _get out_!"

"No! Henry, what's happening? Let me help you –" She moved towards him and Henry roared, half in pain and half in absolute blind rage. He was shaking wildly now, screaming profanities and ripping at his hair.

"Doctor Magnus!" Kate shouted, turning her head once to call for help. She tried to edge closer to him, but Henry's eyes wheeled to her and he shook his head.

"No, no! Kate, get the fuck out –" he was overcome by another shuddering convulsion, and couldn't finish his sentence. "I can't – _oh my God_. DOCTOR MAGNUS!" He snarled, half-sobbing.

"Oh my goodness, Henry!" Suddenly Magnus was there, breathless and terrified. "Kate, what happened?"

Kate stared with wide eyes at Henry. "I just came to give him a comic book." She whispered, "Doctor Magnus, what's happening?"

There was a horrible tearing sound, and Henry screamed bloody murder. She watched, motionless, as he began to change. It all happened so quickly yet so slowly, his canines sharpening and fur erupting all over his body. Magnus was yelling something at her, but she couldn't process it. All she could see was Henry, half-changed, struggling to change back.

"Werewolf..." Kate murmured inaudibly.

"_Out_." Big Guy's giant hands suddenly grabbed her shoulders and yanked her from Henry's room. She struggled against them, but he was far too strong for her to break free.

"No! Hey, let me go!"

He dumped her in the hall and went back into Henry's room, closing the door behind him. Kate rattled it, but it was locked. Frustrated and confused and afraid, Kate snarled a string of curses. She pounded on the door for a while but eventually gave up, settling down against the wall to wait. She closed her eyes and strained her ears, desperate to hear what was going on in Henry's bedroom.

She could hear Magnus yelling for Big Guy to hold him down, while Henry's incessant snarling and growling carried all the way down the hall. He howled, long and pained and sorrowful, and Kate winced.

A long time passed and Will came to join her. For a while they sat in silence, listening to the gradually quietening sounds coming from Henry's room. Finally, Kate sighed.

"I'm guessing I'm the only one who didn't know?"

"Don't feel insulted – he didn't tell me, either. I just sort of found out."

"How?"

Will smiled. "He saved my life."

Kate sighed again. "Why didn't he just tell me?"

"I asked the exact same question."

"And what answer did they give you?"

"Henry doesn't like people knowing. He doesn't like what he is."

"He shouldn't feel like he has to hide it." Kate muttered, folding her arms over her chest.

Will smiled in a hopeless sort of way. "I know."

The snarling faded into quiet weeping, and Kate closed her eyes again.

* * *

"Too soon for another house call?"

Henry looked up from his comic, glancing at the open door. He sighed when he saw Kate, holding up what he gathered to be a CD. She smiled hesitantly. Henry shrugged.

"Come in, I guess." She closed the door behind her and took a few steps towards his bed.

"I brought you this. Uh, Magnus said you liked them, so I just thought..."

He already had this one, but he wasn't going to tell her that. She was floundering – completely at a loss for what to say, and they both knew it. Henry smiled a little.

"Thanks. That means a lot." He took the CD from her outstretched hand and leant over to put it on the bedside table.

"I... I see you cleaned up." Kate bit her lip. Henry nodded.

"Yep."

A beat of unbearably awkward silence passed between them. Finally, Henry sighed.

"Oh come on. Just say something."

"Why are you so ashamed of being the way you are?" The words practically leapt out of Kate's mouth, and she immediately wanted to stuff them back in. Henry didn't look angry though, just tired.

"Not so much ashamed anymore," He said slowly, "More... afraid. Until you've lived it, you have no idea what it feels like."

"You let me think you were _dying_." Kate glared at him.

"Yeah, well, whatever." Henry replied, "You should learn not to jump to conclusions."

"I didn't jump to conclusions! Everyone was acting like you had some crazy disease and you weren't getting better. Honestly, I would've much preferred it if you just outright told me the truth."

"Not your business, Freelander."

Kate stopped in her tracks abruptly. Guilt washed over her. "Yeah," She mumbled, "I guess it isn't."

Henry felt a little bad. He sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping. He closed the comic book. "It's just not something I feel like shouting from the rooftops, you know?"

Kate sat down on the edge of the bed. "Yeah, I get it. I just... look. I don't like feeling useless."

Henry raised his eyebrows. "You kick monster ass most days of the week. How are you useless?"

Kate avoided his gaze. "Well... you guys are all so freakin' tight-knit, I felt like I had to do _something _to help. You're a not-so-closeted geek, so I figured bringing you a comic would cheer you right up." She laughed hollowly, "That worked out well, didn't it? I just felt like it was... I don't know. I just wanted to help you feel better."

"I'm sorry, did Kate Freelander just admit to actually having a heart?" Henry grinned. Kate grabbed a pillow and whacked him with it.

"Don't get used to it, wolfie." She grinned back though, and suddenly the awkwardness was gone.

"Good edition, by the way," Henry said, holding up the comic, "Thanks. I'll pay you back the next time I draw out cash."

Kate shook her head. "No way. It was a get well soon gift. Speaking of which, how are you feeling?"

"A lot better." Henry smiled.

"Good to hear." Kate stood up, stretching out. "I guess I'd better get going. I was actually on my way to see Will. He wanted to talk to me about something." She grimaced, "I can only guess how boring it's going to be."

"Try and gauge it on a scale of slightly to insanely."

"Will do." She turned to leave. "Oh, and Hank?"

"Yeah?"

"Tell anyone all that mushy crap I just told you, and I _will _bag and tag you. It won't be too hard to find a buyer for a HAP." She grinned devilishly and stalked out into the hallway, closing the door behind her.

Henry smiled and shook his head. He picked up the comic book and started reading, but his thoughts were elsewhere. He glanced out the window. It was a beautiful sunny day, and he was confining himself to his room. Again.

What the hell, he thought, and pulled on a pair of shoes. Kate didn't think any differently of him. None of them did.

So why should he?


End file.
